SUKHUM, November 23. /TASS/. The signing of a Treaty on Allied Relations and Strategic Partnership the presidents of the two countries plan to sign in Sochi on November 24 is another step on the path of strengthening our relations with Russia, Abkhazian President Raul Khadzhimba said on Sunday.

The new treaty is based on the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation of 2008 that fixed Russia’s recognition of Abkhazia, he said.

“First of all, it means the creation of a collective security system,” he told the Abkhazian television. “It is a global tendency, since even big countries cannot tackle the entire set of international security issues alone. Abkhazia will have a possibility to modernize its armed forces, to equip them with modern arms and enhance their combat readiness.”

“Even if we spent our entire annual budget on these issues we wouldn’t have been able to cope with this task. Now, Russia will help us in it,” he stressed, adding that his country’s armed forces in no way would merge with Russia’s and Abkhazia’s Supreme Commander-in-Chief would have all his competences.

A joint group of forces to include units from the Abkhazian and Russian armies “will be geared to ensure combat coordination of the allied forces,” Khadzhimba said. “This principle is used by all military blocs, such as NATO, the CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organization), etc.”

“We will have a possibility to ensure our security for a long-term perspective. Naturally, we will undertake an obligation to ensure security of our ally - Russia. These are equal relations of two sovereign state,” he underscored.